Thursday, April 30, 2009

Major League Baseball has fined pitcher Jamie Walker of the Baltimore Orioles for his remarks regarding Umpire Angel Hernandez following Baltimore’s game vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday night at Camden Yards. The amount of the fine is undisclosed. Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.

Watson said: “Mr. Walker’s comments were an inappropriate, unnecessary attack on Umpire Hernandez’s professionalism. Such comments impugning the integrity and impartiality of Angel Hernandez or any other member of the umpiring staff will not be tolerated.”

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I didn't hear his comments, but anything attacking Angel Hernandez's professionalism or competency is A-OK with me. He has to be on the short list of least competent MLB umpires

Mike Shannon and Al Hrabosky don't ever avoid a chance to bad mouth Angel Hernandez. Angel Hernandez is probably one of the three worse Umps in the game, and I can't think of the other two(Tim McClelland is one I guess.)

Well, they say don't attribute to malice that which can be explained by simple incompetence. Hernandez can rely on the incompetence explanation in droves. (So if the fine was strictly for accusing Hernandez of bias, I can see Watson's point..."Despite being a sucktastically incompetent umpire the likes of which our game's seldom seen, Angel Hernandez's ability to spread his incompetence around to equally benefit/harm every team is beyond reproach.")

He hasn't been around long, but remember the name Rob Drake. He is the ####### who tossed Piniella last season as he heeded the warning of the 1st base ump and returned to his dugout. And then I happened to be sitting down the third base line at a game where he was stationed there. He truly is an #######, and not nearly a good enough ump to make up for it.

I did too, I may have the name mis-remembered. it's the guy who when he is at home plate takes a day or two to signal a call. Agreed about West though.

I just love the fact that any game which has Angel Hernandez behind the plate, there is no sugarcoating from the announcers about how bad he is. And even TLR who tries to be as political as possible when it comes to discussing these type of things has very little restraint in criticizing Angel Hernandez. The guy is truly bad at his job.

MLB:I don't know if he had money betting on the game or what, but that's a [terrible] call," Walker had said of Hernandez following the game. "I don't know if the guy has something against me or what, but no way ... did I balk. It changed the whole ... game. I may get screwed in the long run, but that's just unacceptable."

Schmuck:"No way in hell did I balk on that pitch,'' he said. "That was a horse----- call. I don't know if the guy has a problem with me or what, but it was a (expletive) call...I don't know if he had money betting on the game, but that was a (expletive) call."AP:"It's a (terrible) call," Walker said. "I don't know if the guy's got something against me or what, but no way did I balk. It changed the whole game. ... It's unacceptable at this level."

Having only seen the replay from the article, he clearly stepped towards home.

If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when --...
(c) The pitcher, while touching his plate, fails to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base;
Rule 8.05(c) Comment: Requires the pitcher, while touching his plate, to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base. If a pitcher turns or spins off of his free foot without actually stepping or if he turns his body and throws before stepping, it is a balk.

Your homer announcer seems to think that the only requirement for a balk is the foot going past the rubber.

I did too, I may have the name mis-remembered. it's the guy who when he is at home plate takes a day or two to signal a call.

That's not McClelland, McClelland has the very subdued strike signal that's nearly impossible to see if you're sitting behind the plate, he just brings his fist up and towards his chest.

Eddings is horrid, unless you're A.J. Pierzynski (or a White Sox fan). Brinkman has had some pretty horrid calls as well, I remember one absolute farce of a checked swing call against the Rays that got a couple people ejected. I believe that was the game with the rather unusual result of Geremi Gonzalez getting ejected yet still throwing a complete game.

Brinkman has had some pretty horrid calls as well, I remember one absolute farce of a checked swing call against the Rays that got a couple people ejected. I believe that was the game with the rather unusual result of Geremi Gonzalez getting ejected yet still throwing a complete game.

Brinkman was the one who was so bad that Ernie Whitt felt the need to call him on it, in writing, in his autobiography, while he was still an active player.

That's not McClelland, McClelland has the very subdued strike signal that's nearly impossible to see if you're sitting behind the plate, he just brings his fist up and towards his chest.

No, I think that is McClelland. His signal is subdued, but he's also very slow in making it. It's a little disconcerting when watching in person (though he generally gets the call right, which is more than can be said for most umps' strike zones).

And then Hernandez threw McMichael out of the park. Pretty sure that was the Rockies game where Gutierrez fell down rounding 3rd, wound up with 3 simultaneous run downs and Gutierrez wound up scoring to win.

I hate that call, but you can't go around suggesting the umpires are on the take. There is no proof of it, and it is basically undermining the credibility of all umpires. It is not to be taken lightly.

He should have said something like, "I guess he didn't accept my apology for ####### his wife..."

Well, I watched the clip, and I can see pretty easily how it looks like a balk, especially from the angle at home. Jerking the front knee like a Irish step-dancer doesn't really promote the idea that that he was stepping towards home at all, to my eyes.

That being said, the balk is the worst-defined call in baseball history, so I can also see how it people would say that clip isn't particularly clear.